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This will be a quick post, but in my ongoing research into revenge porn and online extortion, I stumbled across (h/t Mandy Nagy) this press release and recently-unsealed complaint in the Eastern District of Michigan. It alleges, essentially, that a New York man — Adam Paul Savader — used a variety of Google Voice numbers to text women under the monicker “John Smith.” “Smith” told the women that he had nude photos of them (or, in one victim’s case, her mother) and that he would post more online if they did not send more nude photos. He allegedly threatened to send the photos to their family members, sorority sisters, and the Republican National Committee, telling one that everyone in “D.C” would see the nude photos. The unidentified victims apparently attended the same college as Savader.

On Twitter, Adam Savader brags that he was “Formerly @PRyan’s sole intern on @MittRomney’s campaign and a @newtgingrich campaign staffer” and notes that his website is savader.com. The whois registration for the site lists his abode as being the same Great Neck, NY address as the address affiliated with the IP address used to register many of the online accounts allegedly used in the sextortion plot.

Savader is charged with internet extortion in violation of 18 USC 875(d) and cyberstalking in violation of 18 USC 2261A(2). While no money was apparently demanded of the victims, at least one court of Appeals has held (PDF) that demanding even intangibles can constitute a “thing of value” for purposes of the internet extortion statute.

It should go without saying that, if true, this kind of behavior is contemptuous, regardless of partisan affiliation. There are creeps on every side of the aisle.

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This kind of thing just boggles my mind. I can understand the type of hate that motivates war and terrorism, but so-called “revenge porn” is unbelievably evil. This is why I was delighted to see Ben Quayle (son of Dan) lose his bid to retain his Arizona seat in Congress; I didn’t feel I could trust a man who co-founded the revenge site now known as TheDirty.com. More here: http://lnsmitheeblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/i-knew-dan-quayle-son-youre-no-dan.html

So why is this a crime and IAD, YouGotPosted et al not? Not sure there’s much of a difference – PinkMeth makes a point of reaching out on Twitter to tell them they’re up and since these sights offer removals – isn’t it really the same – you show them you’re up, there’s a takedown service for fee – seems like the same thing or close to it. He’s a sh*thead, that’s for sure